1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a lighter, and more particularly to a piezoelectric lighter incorporated with a safety arrangement which prevent the lighter from being ignited accidentally or undesirably.
2. Description of Related Arts
Piezoelectric lighters are widely used for prompted and accurate ignition. Conventional lighters are usually small, therefore, people often carry one or two of them around and use them to ignite a cigarette or cigar when necessary. They have become an essential tool for smokers.
A conventional piezoelectric lighter usually comprises a lighter case having a fuel storage cavity for storing liquefied gas and an ignition cavity, and an ignition system. The ignition system usually comprises a gas releasing valve communicated with the fuel storage cavity, a gas emitting nozzle extended from the gas releasing valve wherein when the gas releasing valve is lifted up, the liquefied fuel will be released through the gas emitting nozzle, a piezoelectric unit which comprises a main piezoelectric body disposed in the ignition cavity and a movable operating part movably extended from the main piezoelectric body, wherein when the movable operating part is depressed towards the main piezoelectric body, a spark is generated at the spark generating tip extended from the main piezoelectric body. The ignition system further comprises a lighter trigger movably disposed in the lighter case, and operatively communicated with the movable operating part of the piezoelectric unit and the gas releasing valve via a gas lever in such a manner that the lighter trigger is adapted to move between a normal position and an ignition position, wherein in the ignition position, the lighter trigger is moved to depress the movable operating part of the piezoelectric unit and, at the same time, uplift the gas releasing valve so as to release the liquefied fuel via the gas emitting nozzle. The gas emitting nozzle is extended to a position adjacent to the spark generating tip so that the liquefied fuel coming out from the has emitting nozzle can be ignited by the spark generated at the spark generating tip when the lighter trigger is in the ignition position. On the hand, when the lighter trigger is in the normal position, the ignition trigger is moved in such a manner that the depressing force of the movable operating part of the piezoelectric unit is relieved and the gas releasing valve is restored to its original position for blocking further release of the liquefied fuel stored in the fuel storing cavity.
For years, several kinds of piezoelectric lighters have been developed for several purposes. In terms of ignition mechanism, piezoelectric lighters can be broadly divided into depression type and sliding type. The difference of which is mainly lied on the type of movement of the ignition trigger. Nevertheless, they both possess a potential problem: they all vulnerable to undesirable or accidental ignition.
Conventional piezoelectric lighters do not have any safety arrangement to prevent the lighter from being accidentally or undesirably ignited. As result, children can, driven by curiosity, easily ignite the lighter without adult's notice. One can easily recognize that this can result in a very serious or even disastrous situation.
Because of the above-mentioned reasons, some sorts of safety piezoelectric lighters have been developed wherein safety mechanisms are incorporated with the lighters in order to prevent accidental or undesirable ignitions, especially performed by children. However, those safety most of the safety mechanisms are either so simple to operate even children can unlock the lighter trigger or so inconvenient that the safety mechanisms themselves make the lighters very difficult to operate. In the former cases, the safety mechanisms are virtually meaningless, while in the later cases, the safety mechanism directly and severely affect the performance of the piezoelectric lighters to destroy the very advantages of a lighter—provision of rapid, accurate and convenient ignition virtually in everywhere.
Moreover, even though the above-mentioned safety lighters are appropriately designed and manufactured such that better safety effect is achieved, however, because such kinds of lighters have been extensively sold for years, lots of people, including children, have been already familiar with the safety mechanisms and operations for these piezoelectric lighters. As a result, their safety effects are virtually diluted.
Thus, convenient and safety in the context of piezoelectric lighters always have contradiction. The degree to which convenience is ‘traded’ with safety is of overriding interest to both manufacturers as well as end users of the piezoelectric lighters. However, optimal safety piezoelectric light has not yet been invented.
Yet in conjunction with the forgoing elaboration of the usual operation of conventional safety lighters, one further disadvantage which is not obvious to people is that such kind of conventional safety lighter require the user to intentionally unlock the safety device before igniting the lighter. However, this possesses considerable inconvenience to the users.